Dragon Princess
by liahjh1289
Summary: A new member to team seven with a dark past may change everything; or can she change nothing?
1. A New Member

Okay, this is my Naruto story. I have no idea when I will be able to update, but I know that it will be relatively regular.

This story will have some minor plot changes-some not so minor plot changes. I do promise that even though it is about an original character Naruto is the hero. Nikko Kaminari is an addition. She will play a major role, but I am trying to write it to where she can be part of the main group without stealing the spotlight from them.

I need people who will tell me if she is getting too much attention/credit/power.

On that note: This story will be long. It will follow Nikko and her development over the three years that Sasuke and Naruto are gone from the village. There will be many chapters without the two boys. I hope people will still want to read it, though.

My Bleach/Inuyasha story is still a work-in-progress. I am also doing a One Piece story.

I think I have ADD because I get ideas and I have to run with them.

Anyway, here is the first, very short, chapter of my first long Naruto story.

Please review.

Enjoy!

* * *

Genma was moving that damn needle back and forth in his mouth again. Hayate could think of a few things that his friend's mouth could be better suited for. They were waiting for Kakashi to show up for their now weekly meetings with Lord Hokage. Hayate glanced at the old man. Few people knew why Kakashi was always late. Lord Hokage, of course, didn't bother with trying to get him to change. The newer Chunin were obviously getting tired of his tardiness, though.

"He's later than usual." Genma muttered to Hayate.

"Yeah, I've noticed."

"What do you think is going on?"

"I wouldn't know, but if he doesn't come in soon Lord Hokage may send someone after him."

Before Genma could say anything Kakashi walked in. "Sorry everyone." He chose not to go with one of his usual excuses and got in line with Gai and Asuma.

"Well, as you all know, the Chuunin exams will be held in Konoha this year. I need volunteers to serve as proctors for the exams. For those of you who have genin teams-you have one month to decide if your teams are ready for the exams." Sarutobi took a moment to read a few of the notes in front of him. "We have been given another list of A and S ranked missions. Jounin who are not on current assignments or working with genin need to report to the council room once we are done which will be now if no one has anything else to add."

The Hokage waited for the others to speak and dismissed them when nobody did. Hayate, Genma, Kurenai, Kakashi, Gai and Asuma stayed behind.

"So, what's your excuse this time?" Asuma asked Kakashi as he lit his cigarette.

Kakashi closed his eye and sighed. "The usual, except that I also decided to stop by Naruto's house to see if he needs anything and he was completely out of feed."

"Do you go grocery shopping for your other orphan?"

Kakashi glanced at Genma. "Sasuke is smart enough to know that he needs more than instant ramen to survive."

The Hokage started laughing. "Yes, that boy does seem to love ramen more than anything." He stopped laughing and smirked at Kakashi. "You have quite the handful with your team, don't you?"

"They certainly keep things interesting, sir."

"How would you like to add one more person to your team?"

They all looked at their leader with great curiosity. "What are you talking about, old man?" Asuma asked his father he finished off his smoke.

"I received word from the Onyx Village in the land of Stones. The village leader's granddaughter has inherited the kekkei genkai of her family. They are not a ninja village and they have not had any members of their family gain their abilities in three generations. They are not equipped to help her."

"The Onyx Village? Isn't that where the Kaminari clan is? Don't tell me it's them." Kurenai gasped when the Hokage nodded.

"Nikko Kaminari will be arriving in the village in a few days. I hope, Kakashi, that you will take her under your wing."

Kakashi thought for a moment. Lord Hokage was, as always, correct in his decision. Kakashi could copy any jutsu with his sharingan eye. His eye made him the ideal tutor for the girl. "Of course, sir. I'll be sure to inform Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto about their new team mate."


	2. Introduction

Thanks: Kakashi's Rabid Stalker. I put a little tid-bit in the chapter to hint at some confusion. (you know what I mean) ^_^

Here is the second chapter of my Naruto story. I hope to have the next one up by Thanksgiving.

Please review.

As always,

Enjoy.

* * *

Three days had come and gone. Team seven – minus their sensei – was waiting at the Northern Gate of Konoha for their new team mate. Each genin had a reason for this 'Nikko' girl not to join. Sakura's, of course, was that she didn't want any competition for Sasuke's affections. Sasuke was a bit worried about having another girl to put up with, but he was more worried about having to slow his own training down to catch her up. Naruto said that teams couldn't just add new people whenever they wanted to because it would mess up current team dynamics. They were all shocked that he had the most logical concerns. What Naruto said, however, was only to hide the fear that having someone extra on their team would also mean someone could be replaced. His village hated him. Most of them didn't want him to be a ninja at all. This was logic, too.

"Where the heck is Kakashi sensei?" Naruto folded his arms over his chest and frowned.

"Stop complaining, Naruto. He'll be here soon." Sasuke was leaning against the tree just inside the gate with Naruto.

Sakura was pacing a little way from the boys with thoughts running through her mind about how pretty this girl would be. Before her thoughts could run away with her, she saw Kakashi and the Hokage walking towards them.

"Hello, team seven, how are you?" The Hokage smiled warmly at them.

"Why are you sticking OUR squad with a newbie? We don't need anyone extra, old man!" Naruto was pointing angrily at Sarutobi.

"Naruto, calm down. The Hokage has no obligation to explain himself to you." Kakashi sighed and inwardly agreed with Naruto. The boy could be very loud and obnoxious, but he was right. Any more than four to a squad was excessive and could compromise missions. It would be better if he trained her privately.

"I know this will be a difficult transition, but Nikko is your age and has no friends here. She has no family in this village; would you really want me to make her go to the academy and take classes with small children?"

Naruto frowned and looked to the ground. _'Stupid old man – why does he always have to be right?'_

"You don't have to worry about her delaying your training, either. She will first be taking remedial lessons from Iruka."

Sasuke and Naruto looked to be more at ease, but Sakura still looked worried. Unfortunately, the Hokage couldn't help with her worries. They would all have to wait until Nikko arrived to see what she looked like.

The group waited five minutes and then saw a small cloud of dust. The dust cloud was being followed by three male voices.

"Lady Kaminari, please wait!"

"You must slow down, my lady!"

"Your grandfather assigned us as your guards, so please stop!"

Then came the female voice. "If you can't keep up, you'd be useless in a fight!"

"She has a point." Lord Hokage chuckled.

The dust cloud came to a stop just a few meters in front of them. They watched with a great deal of curiosity as the air cleared. The first thing they saw was a large, onyx horse. Its mane and tail were shiny and flowed flawlessly down the beast. The second thing they noticed was the girl on the back of the large animal. She had white hair, like Kakashi, that was pulled into a loose bun. Her eyes were a dark golden color. She was wearing a black hooded cloak, but her clothes were still visible. Her kimono-style shirt was dark blue with red trim and small red pedal designs down the left-hand side. It was covering a mesh shirt that was visible around her neck. Both tops were sleeveless. She had a matching skirt but with the pedals on the right. It fell to about mid-thigh and she had plain, skin tight, black shorts underneath that extended to just above her knees. She had basic, black ninja sandals and dark blue, open-fingered gloves that went about four inches above her elbows. Her bangs blew around her face as she looked at the five ninja before her.

Nikko smiled when she heard the three 'guards' coming toward the gate. She dismounted and turned toward the hustling voices. "Honestly, how slow can you be?" She asked the question more to herself.

Finally, the three men who had been assigned to protect the Kaminari heir ran through the gate after their mistress. They all had brown hair and eyes. One man was obviously older than the others – by about twenty-five years from his looks. The others were in their late teens to early twenties. They all looked similar. They could be father and sons. Maybe an uncle or perhaps a cousin.

"I'm too old to be chasing you around, my lady."

"Are you alright, Father?" One of the younger men was now helping the elder stand.

"You shouldn't have run off, lady Nikko. And where did you find that horse?" The other young man stood with his hands on his hips like a disciplining teacher.

"The horse was just wandering around in the forest." Nikko turned to the Konoha ninjas behind her. "Is there any way I can keep him somewhere here in the village?"

Lord Hokage stepped forward. "We've built a small house in the southern woods. It's in a good sized clearing. There should be room for a small stable to keep him."

Nikko smiled. "Thanks, Lord Hokage."

"Miss Kaminari, I have some people I want you to meet." Sarutobi turned to the three men. "There will be two ninja here shortly to escort you to our accounting facility to drop off Miss Nikko's money and then to your rooms. Are you still planning to stay only for tonight?"

"Yes, we will leave tomorrow morning. If we stay any longer than that, we may not leave at all."

Nikko laughed loudly. "You guys are hilarious!" Sarcasm was her specialty.

"We will go now." The Hokage turned toward the Hokage tower and the others followed.

Nikko followed quietly. She took notice of how the others were glancing at her. The pink haired girl kept glaring at her and then glancing worriedly at the guy with the darker hair. Said dark-haired boy looked like he was angry with her. The older ninja with the mask and white hair was trying to hide behind his book, but she saw his glimpses of curiosity. He was most likely thinking about her kekkei genkai.

They walked up a long flight of stairs, down a hallway, and into a large office. The Hokage went and sat behind what Nikko assumed was his desk.

"Nikko, you will be taking remedial lessons from Iruka-sensei from the academy. Once you are able to pass a genin graduation exam you will be assigned to team seven. This is Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Naruto Uzumaki," he pointed to each of them as he stated their name, "and your leader and sensei, Kakashi Hatake."

They each nodded to her out of obligation. "It's nice to meet you all." She nodded back. "I'm very thankful you've allowed me to come to your village and learn."

"So, why did you have to come to our village? Why not learn in your own?"

"Naruto! Don't be rude!" Sakura reprimanded him but inwardly agreed.

"It's fine. If I'm going to join your team, then you have the right to know about me. My name is Nikko Kaminari. I was born in the Onyx Village in the Land of Stone. My family once had great power. They had ninja abilities that were limited to our clan. Only the men in my family inherited these abilities.

My Great-Great Grandfather was a friend and ally of the first Hokage. He was the last of our clan to gain the family power. After the Leaf Village was formed, and war was still an issue, he decided it would be safer if our family lived away from all the fighting. He moved to what became the Land of Stone. Now, while we may live there, my clan has always remained loyal to the Leaf village. As to why I am here: nobody in my family has been able to awaken our ninja abilities since the founding of this village. Nobody in my home knows how to train me. Leaving home was my only option."

The others accepted what she said. Naruto was made to apologize by Sakura. They were dismissed by the Hokage after he informed Kakashi that he would be tasked with taking Nikko to the forest where her new home was located. Nikko untied the horse and led him as she followed her new sensei. She took in as many sights as she could before they hit the southern outskirts of the village.

"Iruka will be along tomorrow, around noon, to begin your training." He had been reading the entire walk through the city.

"Hai. Kakashi sensei... I assume there's a reason I was placed on your team."

_'Smart girl.'_ Kakashi thought as he closed his book and placed it in his tool pouch. "Do you know of the Uchiha Kekkei genkai?"

"Hmm." She nodded. "The Sharingan allows the user to see and predict any move – no matter how fast. It also allows one to copy, memorize, and replicate any jutsu they see."

_'Very smart.' _He tapped his head band that rested over his left eye. "I have the sharingan. It was surgically implanted and never de-activates. Because of this, I am in a unique situation to help you master your abilities."

Nikko nodded again. "I have one more question."

"Go ahead."

"Why are the others so upset by my being added to team seven?"

He looked up to the sky for a few moments as if he were trying to figure out how to answer. "Well, Sakura simply sees you as competition for Sasuke's affections. Sasuke is driven by a deep desire to become strong and doesn't want to risk being slowed down. Naruto…is a bit complicated. I suppose you deserve the truth, though. Naruto is a bit of a prankster. Most of the villagers don't like him. They don't treat him very well. He's worried that they'll be able to take away his rank of ninja all together if they find out there's someone who can take his place."

"I would never do that!" Kakashi turned to see Nikko had sopped and was gripping the rope on the horse's neck and staring at the ground. "I know what it means to be an outcast. I know what it's like to have people look at you and see something less than human. I would never be like them. If it ever even becomes an issue I'll just go back to the Onyx village. Naruto and the others are my team now. I'll do everything in my power to not hurt them or slow them down."

_ 'Well, it seems to me she'll be a great team-player.'_

After she had calmed down, the duo continued on to her new home. It was small and quaint. It had only one level after she tied her companion to a nearby tree she opened the door. Inside was beautiful. She walked into the sitting area, which had already been stocked with furniture, and looked at the craftsmanship. The walls were of course simple wooden walls but the top trim had carvings of flowers and dragons.

The furniture consisted of a single couch with a small wooden table in front of it. The couch was black with golden seams. She walked straight through to the next room and discovered a refrigerator – fully stocked with berries, fruits, eggs, meats, and veggies – a stove with new pots and pans on the counter beside it, and a table with a lone chair. The sink had never even been turned on.

She walked through the door to the right. There was a door on the left that led to a small bathroom and straight ahead was the door to her bedroom. There was a window in the left wall next to a small bed with white sheets and a pillow. Across from her was a wall with two more windows. The left window was above a large chest with a lock on it. The right window was above a dresser. Nikko walked to the dresser and opened one of the six drawers. He clothes had already been placed inside. She wondered briefly who it had been but allowed the idea to slip as she pushed her key into the chest and opened it. She inspected the contents for a few moments then – when she was convinced nothing had been taken – she turned to the final, lone window that faced the north. She looked out to see her sense had left – but not before leaving some food for her only companion. The realization of being all alone in this new land had come and gone. When she activated her Kekkei Genkai she looked at the black horse.

_ 'I really need to name him.'_

* * *

Nikko finished dressing and exited the bathroom when she heard knocking on the door. Giving an exasperated sigh and a rueful look at her wet hair, she dropped the laundry and towel in her room and went to answer.

There was a tall man with brown hair and brown eyes and a scar across his nose waiting for her.

"You must be Nikko Kaminari." He had a very kind smile.

"Hai. That makes you Iruka-sensei, right?"

"That's right. Are you ready to begin your training?"

"Of course!" Nikko smiled. She had always wanted to be a ninja.

"Then let's start with this…"

* * *

Three hours later, Iruka went to report to the Third Hokage.

"Well, Iruka, how did Miss Kaminari fare?"

"She did very well. Her chakra control is better than nearly any rookie ninja I've ever seen."

"Even Sakura's?" Kakashi was sitting on a window sill.

"No, Sakura's chakra control indicated early on that she would be a good candidate for medical training, but I have to say – Nikko could match up very quickly. And her weapons training easily rivals Sasuke's."

"I thought, considering where she's from, she would need quite a bit of one-on-one training."

"As did I, Kakashi." Sarutobi took a long drag from his pipe and let the smoke flow out of this mouth. "It seems that Miss Kaminari may have done some training on her own before coming here."

"Lord Hokage, if she had…"

"Yes, Kakashi, I know; but that is not our concern right now. Iruka will continue to work with her and I'd say she'll be ready to officially join team seven when you return from your mission to the Land of Waves."

"Yes, Lord Hokage."


End file.
